On July 17, 2020, the Government of Canada announced a one-time $600 payment in recognition of the extraordinary expenses faced by persons with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This payment of up to $600 will be automatically issued to persons with disabilities. Payments are expected to be issued beginning this Fall.
These individuals include those who
- Have a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate provided by the Canada Revenue Agency; or
- Are beneficiaries as at July 1, 2020, of Canada Pension Plan Disability or Quebec Pension Plan Disability; and/or
- Are beneficiaries, as at July 1, 2020, of disability supports provided by Veterans Affairs Canada:
o Disability Pension;
o Disability Award;
o Pain and Suffering Compensation;
o Critical Injury Benefit;
o Rehabilitation Services and Vocational Assistance Program;
o Income Replacement Benefit; and/or
o Canadian Forces Income Support.
Seniors with disabilities, who were eligible for the one-time seniors payment announced on May 12, 2020, and are also eligible for the one-time disability payment, will receive a total amount of $600 broken into 2 payments:
- If they received the $300 one-time seniors payment for the Old Age Security (OAS) pension, they will receive an additional $300
- If they received the $500 one-time seniors payment for both the OAS pension and the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) or the Allowance, they will receive an additional $100
Persons already receiving any of the above programs or benefits do not need to apply for the one‑time disability payment. They will receive the payment automatically. This one-time payment will be non-taxable and non-reportable, meaning that it is not necessary to report it on your income tax return and no tax will need to be paid on it.
Persons with disabilities, who meet the eligibility criteria for the DTC and have yet to apply to the Canada Revenue Agency, can apply until September 25, 2020. Persons with disabilities who have a certificate that expired in 2019, and have yet to re-apply to the CRA, should do so by September 25, 2020.
Have a lovely safe weekend
Ian MacNeil
